Before Me
by Crowbartender
Summary: Lilly hated the new owner of the house across the street. The last thing she needed was another party girl ruining her already tough life and the worst part was, Miley Stewart wouldn't leave her alone! AU. Eventual Liley.
1. Chapter 1

**Yet another new story! This one will be updated more often, I hope. I still have a week of freedom. **

* * *

The sun winked through sheets of clouds, the struggle to shine becoming more strenuous as the increasing threat of rain made the clouds thick with darkness. Unclouded eyes of clear blue stared at what was once a mirror image of their depths in a state of concern. A silent wish, _Please don't rain_, was aimed at the heavens, but the sky didn't seem to show if the god's honoured the single request and the young girl crossed the street smoothly with lingering hope as she came upon the booth sitting behind a wired fence, it's slightly rusted gates only half open, providing little welcome to civilisation.

Lilly Truscott kicked up her skateboard as she bounced off of it and went over to the cubicle to find a middle aged man sitting inside with a vacant stare. The joyful smile on Lilly's face instantly fell and she moved closer, leaning into the small window to find a surprisingly clean environment containing very little. There was no decade old computer, no food wrappers, no coat rack. The box, as Lilly liked to call it, was empty and it caused a fear to lie heavily in her stomach.

"Hey Blake, what's going on?" she asked with uncovered worry.

"You don't wanna know," he replied grimly, a lost expression crippling his ageing features as he kept a lowered gaze, nervous for reasons that evaded Lilly.

"I do. Please tell me." Reluctant in his response, the man examined his thoughts carefully, needing to pick his choice of words delicately, but his sadness and rage were in a chaotic war, in need of release, and he couldn't hold it in for as long as he thought he could.

"You know how I never profit from this place, Lilly. You knew that someday some government bastard would see this location overlooking the ocean as the perfect spot for something profitable," he said as softly as he could manage. He cared too much about the girl to tell her flat out that the skate park had been purchased.

"No... No, Blake! Please don't tell me you agreed to sell the park!" The desperation in Lilly's voice and the grief she brazenly displayed twisted the man's heart sharply and he looked away. He'd basically just sold a large portion of Lilly's life.

"Sorry, kid. They offered me a check that would keep me livin' fancy for a long time and I knew denying them wouldn't end well... so I just agreed. Today's the last day it's open and I'll even let you keep the key since it's not gonna be any use to me anymore. Don't lock up and don't stay too late, I know your mother wouldn't want that," he said, tossing Lilly the key, but her reflexes were shot. It jingled as it hit the ground and she stared at it with a sorrowful gaze. The last time. It didn't sound right. Lilly bent down, retrieved the key and looked up to see Blake, no longer in the box, watching his skate park for the final morning and when he faced Lilly, she was in his arms, fighting off tears that she didn't want staining her face. She wasn't just losing a part of her life, she was losing the man who had watched her grow up, who had given her his old skating gear out of kindness and tended to her wounds when she fell off and hurt herself. He was like the father she never knew.

"I'll miss you, Blake," she whispered.

"I'll miss you too and you know where I live... but that area isn't somewhere a girl should be wandering around. I'll try visit," he promised as Lilly let him go and made her way back over to her board. She kicked off and Blake walked away from his park and the young lady he had guided as a child for good.

* * *

Prayers went unanswered and the sky cried as Lilly cried. She didn't stop skating as the rain drenched her clothes, skin and heart and weighed her down as she rolled over the smooth concrete with little to no control over her board. She fell numerous times and the jolts of pain made her bawl harder as images of her life flashed with the lightning. The concentration it took to keep her balance and have control over her board even when airborne always distracted her from the things she didn't want to be reminded of. Memories were like a brain tumour to her and she knew eventually they'd dig her grave and bury her alive if given the chance. Without the wind setting her free and the bumps and curves of the skate park demanding her full attention, her recollections wouldn't hesitate to cage her in again. She would be stalked daily by past events and she knew running from them for as long as she did was close to a miracle.

Shivering and chilled to the bone by not just the rain, Lilly whispered her goodbye to the park that offered her solace when no one else would, picked up her board and trotted home. She knew her skateboard would be ruined, but it was of no use to her anymore and that thought alone hurt more than the small grazes that striped her white skin with reds and pinks. Water pooled around her soaked shoes as she closed the front door to her empty house behind her. There was no one there for Lilly anymore and there hadn't been in many years. Not even her mother was someone she could talk to, though she was certain ignoring the woman wasn't the right thing to do. She loved her mother, but she couldn't bring herself to dive deep enough into the past to relive what had happened. Lilly ignored any haunting thought and dragged her feet as she sought out the shower's warmth to melt a gradually growing coldness that she hadn't been so painfully aware of in such a long time.

Friendless, secluded, a skater. Such a small description was all that could be supplied for who Lilly was, though it was as precious as the sun to the girl who was not only a stranger to everyone she met, but also to herself.


	2. Collision

**Have fun.**

* * *

Lilly parted the curtains and glared at the two-story house now sitting where her magnificent skate park once had. It was the first time she'd actually seen it in the weeks she'd dedicating to hiding from the sounds and sights of the park being demolished. She went as far as turning her stereo up to unnecessary volumes just to keep the construction work from penetrating the silence and her heart.

"I hate you," she said. She wished she could speak the words to whoever owned that house, but an abundance of cars had been pulling up and people were filing into the house like zombies stumbling towards the last human to get the first taste of flesh.

Lilly let the drapes fall back into place and regarded her room with a dull interest and a blank stare. And then she suddenly remembered. The reminiscence of a friend was lucid in her usually disjointed mind and she looked at the photo frame that had burrowed deeply into her trashcan. Balls of scrunched up paper, failed attempts at expressing herself poetically, piled atop the cracked glass that had once protected the image of two happy people, two friends. Like the glass, the friendship had been broken long ago and Lilly felt the urge to cry again. Nothing, from that day on, had gone right for Lilly. She averted her gaze.

"I hate you," she repeated, but this time, the person she directed it at heard her. Hurt eyes watched Lilly, but she didn't feel guilty for her confession and turned away from her mirror. She needed to leave the room, the house, the state. She needed to get as far away as possible until she forgot about what had happened.

* * *

Miley Stewart weaved through the crowds of people towards her front door, finally hearing the abrupt banging over the pounding music. She flung herself away from the bodies, and smiled her apologies through the glass door before opening it and shouting a gleeful "Welcome to my housewarming party!" The stranger nodded and immediately made their way inside towards the table where the keg of alcohol had been set up. Miley followed closely behind, deciding now that enough people had made an appearance, she could intoxicate herself until she spewed.

Once her drink was obtained, she observed the packs of beasts she'd welcomed into her home almost cynically. These people, these 'friends of friends' weren't important to Miley. She knew that. She couldn't truly appreciate these pests until she was buzzed on alcohol or weed and once she'd reached a disorientated state, she fell in with the crowd and danced or grinded until her bones turned to dust.

At first, this wild, animalistic behaviour was just a cry for her father's attention, but as she stopped blindly participating in these charades and saw through the haze, she became addicted. She would've ceased her rowdy activities the moment her father actually stopped treating her as transparent, but now Miley wasn't sure if that would ever happen. Would he ever see her and would she ever stop? There was no answer.

She wasn't the perfect daughter Robbie Stewart boasted about. She wasn't like her brother, who was the successful heir to her father's giant record company. She wasn't helping them out and she wondered every night before she passed out on an unfamiliar couch or in a filthy gutter if her father even realised she wasn't in her room at their mansion. He was never home and when he was, he'd only talk to Jackson, Miley's too perfect brother. He could make a mistake and everyone would look past it, but no matter what Miley did, no one ever cared. If she did something good, Jackson did it better and if she did something different, there wasn't a human being for miles who could see past her father's ego and pride for his son. Miley was just a shadow and she wouldn't sleep restfully until her dad could look her in the eye just once and say that he was disappointed or he was proud. Anything, any form of compassion would sate Miley because she had been starved for her father's consideration the moment he got over her first words and steps.

Maybe if Miley's mother was around, Robbie might then realise she exists, but Robbie never talked about Miley's mother. Frankly, the most Miley knew was that she wasn't adopted despite the fact that she didn't fit into any cracks her broken family harboured. Miley was just the weed amongst flowers, the raven amongst doves, the alien amongst her family. And knowing this, she wouldn't stop killing herself until someone cared.

* * *

Lilly peered through the window of the house she loathed with a great amount of her being and scoffed at the drunken morons within. Some had lurched out of the front door, their eyes following her every move, some of the teenage boys grinning and attempting to whistle. Lilly ignored them and continued on towards the beach, but light crunches sounded behind her as she strolled across the shore. Lilly looked back with an air of concern, but sighed in relief as she saw her stalker was merely an unstable girl probably around her age. Their eyes met right as the girl tumbled forward onto her hands and knees and threw up in the sand.

Lilly rolled her eyes at the hopeless girl and kept walking, thankful for the crash of the waves that covered up the sound of another lost soul retching her guts out. Lilly hated being witness to these pitiful displays. She knew the partying types well and she hated them to say the least.

Footfalls crunched again and a hand landed on her shoulder, bringing Lilly to a stop. She turned around and stared at the girl before her. A mess of brunette curls fell past her collarbone and her attire was short of revealing. Tanned skin was practically flaunted and nearly glowing in the twilight. Lilly tried not to recoil as the smell of liquor itched her nose. A dazed smile and light blue eyes beamed at Lilly and she raised an eyebrow at the almost comical appearance of this beautiful, yet irresponsible, girl.

"Hi," she garbled, taking a step forward, but tripped over her own feet. Lilly caught her and pushed her back with a look of disdain.

"Do you need something?" Lilly asked curtly and the girl continued to smile.

"I'm Miley," she introduced airily. Lilly couldn't understand why drunks had to be so ditzy and inched her way back as a nauseous expression overtook Miley's face and she crumbled to the ground again, but this time instead of throwing up, she lied down and rested in the sand. Curious, Lilly nudged the stranger with her foot and gained no reaction.

"Lousy drunk is probably out cold," she grumbled to herself, not even sparing Miley a second glance as she proceeded on her journey by the sea, deciding that whoever owned the house across the street must be an awful case if they were anything like that pathetic girl curled up in the middle of the beach.

* * *

**Might be the last update for a while. School is looming overhead.**


	3. The Revelation

**I have a few days off and will be writing, so I hope you all stick around and check out my updates. Perhaps they won't just be for this story. I doubt it though :P**

* * *

That night, Lilly had gotten very little sleep. The party a few yards away had raged into the early morning hours and not once had someone complained about it. She supposed the unfortunate citizens within hearing range all decided it was only going to occur that night and then that would be the end of it, but like Lilly, they had assumed wrong. The parties were held nearly every night and the music just seemed to get louder, the participants more reckless. Sometimes Lilly would awake and find garbage varying from cans of alcohol, cigarette butts, vomit, and even clothes on her lawn or an unknown car parked in the driveway, but all evidence of the social gatherings was removed by the time Lilly's mother woke up and got ready for work. Her shift was late and from the moment she got home, she slept, only ever having the time to give Lilly money and a list of what to keep the house stocked with.

One morning, Lilly was so sleep deprived and furious that she marched over to the house that was the constant source of her irritation and slammed her fist into the door until she was sure it would break. But even that gained no response from whoever was inside. They were either knocked out if they hadn't heard Lilly, or they weren't home. It took Lilly five minutes of trying to beat down the door before she gave up and walked back home with swollen knuckles and a light relief flittering about after releasing some of her anger. It felt good, but that didn't stop her from hating that inconsiderate asshole dwelling in that god forsaken house. She hadn't even seen what her tormenter looked like within the week they'd cursed the neighbourhood with their being. They were just a masked cloud trying to rain on Lilly's life until she drowned from the precipitation of frustration.

Being trapped in the house all day with no ideas for true entertainment was gradually driving Lilly mad and she spent hours scribbling random words on paper and searching for chords on the internet so she could learn a new song within a day on her guitar. It all became an artistic blur, mingling into a grey swirl of nothingness, a void Lilly felt so intensely that it nearly devoured her from the inside when she laid in bed and stared at her trashcan. She wasn't the person in the picture anymore. That frozen memory was just a mockery to her now. Once a decent human being in the eyes of many, now just a nobody to all.

It was yet another day of sleeping restlessly through sunrise for the infuriated blonde. Lilly awoke during the early afternoon and she stretched as she made her way towards the front door, deciding to make another attempt at putting a stop to the late night parties. Once on the porch, she turned to close the door behind her, but froze when she spotted something on the porch swing. Sneaking closer, the something became a someone and Lilly let out a peeved sigh, shaking the girl who lay flat on her stomach, hair covering her face as she slept facing Lilly.

"Get up!" Lilly yelled and the girl snapped awake, quickly sitting up in panic. Lilly recognised the half-lidded eyes and charming features of her visitor and an image of the drunken girl vomiting on the beach flashed in her mind.

"Where am I?" she muttered, glancing around with a confused expression, resembling that of a lost child with great incompetence.

"On my property. Do you mind leaving?" Lilly requested heatedly, crossing her arms as the girl looked straight ahead and gasped lightly, completely unfazed by Lilly's obvious hints at the enmity that existed between them.

"Hey, that's my house! You live across from me?" she asked in wonderment, gazing at Lilly with no trace of recognition. That day at the beach seemed to have vanished from her alcohol-infested mind.

"Oh, my God. You have got to be kidding me," Lilly said blankly, not at all prepared for her discovery on the identity of her oppressor.

"Whoa, that's crazy. I don't even remember coming over here..." With misted eyes and an aura of delusional cheer, the girl peered at Lilly with a tired smile. "I'm Miley, by the way. What's your name?"

"Fuck me sideways," Lilly replied solemnly. Miley giggled and pumped her legs slightly with a wince, rocking the swing, not seeming to show an ounce of care that she had woken up on a strangers porch.

"No thank you, I'm not into that." Lilly glowered in bewilderment at Miley.

"Why are you still here?"

"I can't really move," Miley admitted with an embarrassed grin.

"Then I'll throw you across the damn road!" Lilly shouted and Miley's eyebrows rose in shock.

"Um, any particular reason why you're being so rude?"

"Me? Rude? What about you?! You're up all fucking night partying like there aren't people trying to sleep in the neighbourhood and then to make things worse, your stupid scumbag friends come over here and trash my fucking lawn. And then, you decide it's okay to wander over here and sleep on my shit without permission? Who the fuck do you think you are calling _me _the rude one?!" Lilly screamed, days of being pestered by the constant noise and the effect of irregular sleeping patterns sending her into an easy fit of anger.

"Holy shit, calm down! I didn't know I was bothering anyone, okay? No one ever said anything!" Miley defended.

"It's impossible to get anyone to answer that fucking door! I've gone over like twice this week to try and ask you nicely to shut the fuck up, but you're so wasted that you probably couldn't hear an atomic bomb hitting the floor right next to your empty head!"

"Look, I'm sorry. I'll keep the volume to a minimum alright? Just relax a little," Miley said softly, afraid of the red-faced girl who looked just about ready to chew her throat out at any second.

"Get away from my house," Lilly said icily, glaring at Miley as she quickly stood up on wobbly legs and stumbled back over to her home.

* * *

To Lilly's utter shock, Miley had not only kept things on the down low, but she had also avoided having another party altogether. That house was so silent that Lilly pondered on whether Miley moved away to a more friendly area or if she'd overdosed on some whacky shit and stopped breathing for good. It was only normal to be concerned for another person, no matter how stupid they were and Lilly hated that about herself. She cared about people who honestly didn't deserve it.

Three days floated away into an unreachable past and Lilly was easing her insanity into rest by walking along the beach. The sea calmed her and presented her with promises of a better tomorrow, but she knew the tide was lying. When alone, time meant nothing if there was no one to share it with and tomorrows were merely yesterday's today. The tides licked Lilly's naked feet and she felt a light smile touch her lips at the feeling. She needed this gentle treatment after the bruising weight she'd shouldered for almost a year now. Studying the tides, Lilly was surprised to find a lone surfer engulfed in the waves. With dawn fresh from the night, she felt a form of respect for this person who was passionate enough about the activity to rise at such an early hour.

Lilly found herself watching closer, seeing something familiar in the movements of the surfer. The crouched stature, the effort for balance, the risk. Lilly remembered these aspects well, but not without a touch of grief. Skating wasn't the same on the streets and she had yet to venture far enough into the small world of Malibu to find another place where she could be alone and pass the hours that made her day liveable. But surfing was so very different...

The surfer road the waves back to the shore as if the water were like tameable silk and he collapsed exhaustedly into a desert of soft yellow grains. And that's when Lilly approached the talented young man with a hope to attain a new hobby, knowing the ocean had some type of solace to offer that could possibly inject her with a serenity that previously had no chance of survival amid her inner turmoil.

* * *

**Basically, I'm just making up a bunch of crap to pass the time so I can get the hatred levels up.**


	4. Run In

**I don't know. I really don't.**

* * *

A rapping sound chorused the strums of Lilly's electric guitar and she paused for a moment, ear cocked as she pondered on whether it was just her imagination that fabricated the thudding. More knocks signalled the visitor's rising impatience and Lilly abandoned her instrument to find out who exactly wanted to bother her at such an early hour of the morning. She swung the front door open with a frown, but it lifted into a look of surprise when Lilly found the wild party thrower Miley before her, grinning shyly with her hands in the pockets of her jeans. For the first time since meeting her, Miley actually looked kempt and sober.

"What do you want?" Lilly inquired, greeting Miley with a glare.

"I want to apologise again," she replied.

"That's wonderful." Nothing in Lilly's expression and blank tone gave Miley the impression that her second apology was in the least bit wonderful.

"I know, I know. I'm probably right at the top of your shit list, but I really do feel bad about everything," Miley said.

"Okay... Bye." Lilly went to shut the door, but fingers she was tempted to crush appeared through the crack and stopped her.

"Wait, what's your name?"

"Agnes."

"Alright," Miley grinned, holding back a laugh, "Now what's your real name?" Lilly almost smiled.

"Lilly."

"Come get breakfast with me, Lilly? I won't leave until you agree and I'll even pay for you," Miley offered and Lilly's stomach jumped at the idea of a free meal. She knew on many occasions her control had slipped from her mind and wormed into her gut, leading her into messes she hated trying to get out of. This was another one of those times.

She pulled the door back open to reveal Miley's innocent smile, but Lilly knew deep down she was relishing in her victory for luring the skater out of her abode. Lilly was most likely foolishly walking right into Miley's little trap, but the threat of eternal envelopment struck no fear within Lilly. She wouldn't let Miley drag her into the world she'd avoided since the moment she herself was left for it by her supposed best friend.

"I guess I'll go with you, but only if you promise to leave me the hell alone afterwards," Lilly wagered, following Miley down the three steps that lead them to the front lawn.

"I will, but I guarantee you'll change your mind by the end of the day," Miley said with unwavering confidence and a sparkle in her eye that puzzled Lilly greatly.

"Bite me..." Lilly grumbled, not intending to be won over by the cheerful brunette no matter what she did. Lilly still hated her.

* * *

Miley had admitted to not knowing many places to buy food from, so Lilly had to escort her to the beach where Rico's shack sat, already open and satisfying the few early bird customers who dropped by. They climbed onto the stools surrounding the counter and Miley ordered them both nachos without even asking Lilly if she liked them or not. The boy serving them came back with their order and smiled at Lilly when he placed her food before her.

"Hey there, Lilly. Have you been practicing since I last saw you?" he asked.

"Yeah a little, when I'm not being bribed by my neighbours." Lilly eyed Miley, who winked in return. A flitter of happiness swooped by, but Lilly quickly suppressed it. God, how she hated Miley.

"That's good! If you need more lessons, I'm free after four every day except Sunday. That's my day off."

"Ha, yeah sure. You probably just spend your entire day in the water trying to show off your 'moves'," Lilly joked lightly, the familiarity between the two evident to Miley as she listened to their exchanges with piqued interest.

"Quit stalking me, Lilly," he laughed, but stopped when the manager, Rico, demanded that he get back to work.

"You better go before you're fired Gabe. I might come by tomorrow to surf for a few hours," Lilly said and Gabe nodded before leaving to serve the other patrons. When he was a distance away, Miley leaned towards Lilly.

"A friend of yours?"

"Hardly. We went to school together and I ran into him a couple days ago at the beach and now he's decided to be my surfing coach," Lilly explained, glancing at Miley to see her intrigued expression.

"What made you want to surf?"

"The destruction of my hopes and dreams..." Lilly answered flatly.

"Lilly, be serious would you?" Miley chided gently. Lilly faced her with cold eyes, suddenly feeling all of her resentment for Miley rushing back into her veins as she remembered why she hated the girl in the first place.

"I am being serious. I loved the skate park your stupid house was built on top of and now that I have nowhere else to skate privately, I had to learn how to surf because I need to be active and concentrating on something so I don't think about-" Lilly stopped abruptly, realising what she was about to confess and slid off of her stool.

"What's wrong?" Miley asked, mimicking Lilly's movements and joining her in the sand.

"Nothing. I'm going home," Lilly said.

"Lilly, wait! What don't you want to think about?" Miley followed Lilly, but before she could even lay one manicured finger on the blonde's arm, Lilly froze. Miley bumped into her, but Lilly remained immobile.

"Miley, don't come near me again. I don't know what made you think it was okay to invite me out, but don't let that thought cross your mind again. I don't want to be acquainted with a person like you."

"What are you talking about?" Angered by the coy question, Lilly twisted her head until Miley was in her line of sight.

"You're a pathetic alcoholic and most likely a junkie, considering the amount of joints I used to find on my lawn, and your house is a bad reminder of what I've lost. I_ don't_ like you," Lilly understated firmly.

Miley didn't move as Lilly backed up, watching for any sign of a possible pursuit, but the brunette was nailed to the spot.

Lilly fled the beach with a strange sadness following her. The image of Miley's wide blue eyes, shining with the promise of tears, was vivid in her mind and she couldn't shake off the stab of remorse it caused. She hadn't even said that she hated her, and yet she still felt bad for judging Miley's persona without more evidence on what she was truly like beneath the idiocy of her actions. But Lilly knew what that lifestyle did to a person and she couldn't live with herself if she was to defencelessly watch another fall prey to it.

* * *

Dreams were beginning to come into focus and a familiar face was taking form, but the moment blue eyes were visible, tongues of black slashed through the image and Lilly flung up from under her covers as a loud thumping noise came from somewhere in the night. Lilly crawled forward on her bed and peeked through her curtains, not surprised by what she found. Cars lined the gutters and Miley's house was alight and movement within told Lilly all she needed to know.

Without thought, without tidying her attire, Lilly walked robotically out of her room, out of her house and continued on until she was padding across Miley's front lawn. She entered the premises without being noticed and stole a cup from someone's hand, but before they could react, she was sucked into the sea of swaying bodies. Her name was called, but Lilly didn't care as she manoeuvred around the kitchen counter to reach the sink. She filled the nearly empty cup with cold water and then proceeded on her mission. Once she found the source of the obnoxious music, Lilly threw the cups contents onto the device.

The music slurred like the drunks around her and the pounding slowed until all fell silent after a small popping noise erupted from the stereo system. With its wiring drenched and its purpose lost, Lilly smiled in satisfaction and ran from the stoned fools before they could fully understand what had happened.

When Lilly was safely in her home, she locked the doors and slunk up to her room, collapsing onto bed. Her light sigh was accompanied by the sounds of departing cars and curses shouted from those who didn't want the party to end. And then slumber took her.

* * *

Lilly trekked down the beach with a borrowed surfboard resting under one arm, planning to practice for two hours until Gabe joined her in the sea. But that changed when the consequences from last night decided to come by.

"Hey, Lilly, wait up!" Miley called and Lilly turned to see the bikini clad girl trotting up to her.

"Have you come to sue me for property damages?" Lilly asked sullenly.

"You'd think so, but busting my stereo is probably the least I deserve for what I did. I'm actually glad you put a stop to things before they got worse," Miley admitted, displaying no concern for the repair costs or the fact Lilly trespassed on her land.

"It was my pleasure." They scuffed their toes in the sand, not used to the type of calm atmosphere that sat between them. Though while Miley glimpsed at her feet, Lilly absentmindedly took in Miley's exposed body and casually confessed that what she saw wasn't too bad, even if the body belonged to a moron.

"Was wanting silence really the only reason why you did that?" Miley questioned suddenly.

"No."

"What was the other reason?"

"I did it because you wanted me to," Lilly said simply, choosing that moment of perplexed quiet to leave Miley for the ocean. Once submerged, Lilly paid no mind to the confused eyes that followed her and studied her for the next hour or so. But when Lilly finally looked out to the shore to see if Miley was still blindly building her lump of a sandcastle merely to keep her hands occupied, she found the brunette gone.

* * *

**I blame blood meridian for this change of style! It's messing with my head!**


	5. Some Food For Thought

**I'm almost asleep.**

* * *

Lilly picked at her guitar as she rocked the porch swing with one foot, humming an unknown tune to herself as she observed the sun lifting from its sleep like a giant eye that was trying to open, but could never be met once it was. Lilly's mother hadn't come home last night, but had at least graced Lilly with a call regarding her whereabouts. She'd mentioned something about spending the weekend at a friend's place and Lilly had failed to mention they were running low on just about everything and she didn't have any money left since her last visit to the grocery store.

"Mind if I sit?" Lilly jumped slightly, not noticing that Miley had climbed the stairs, crossed the porch, and was now standing in front of the unoccupied seat next to her. She studied the girl silently with a sullen gaze, taking in the slightly parted lips arched in a charming smile that allowed white teeth to flash lightly in the dim morning. Her blue eyes twinkled with a friendliness that bothered Lilly to a certain degree and she couldn't determine why. She was beginning to believe that Miley wouldn't rest until she was on familiar grounds with the blonde, so Lilly accepted a moment of truce, the calmness her music brought her aiding in the effort it took to nod.

"Go ahead," she relented.

They swayed in silence for long minutes, Lilly's fingers still plucking at her guitar. The light notes relaxed her and she unconsciously started humming again, but faltered for a moment when Miley shifted closer. She wasn't certain why, but when she glimpsed at Miley's face, the brunette's eyes were closed and she was smiling for a mysterious reason.

As she examined Miley more accurately, her fingers slowed and her throat's vocals halted, but Lilly was unaware of this until bright blue eyes were suddenly opened and staring right into hers. Lilly blinked and wondered why such an imprudent person could have such a strikingly beautiful face.

"You have such a sweet voice from what I can tell, Lilly. Please don't stop," Miley said lightly.

"What are you doing here?" Lilly asked, trying to cover her embarrassment with her enquiry.

"Well, I... I don't even know why... It doesn't make sense," Miley stalled, pretending to be engrossed with pumping her legs to move the swing in a rapid and unstable rhythm. Lilly remained quiet and continued to look at Miley until their eyes locked and Miley realised she wasn't going to make progress with Lilly unless she was forward and honest. "Okay, don't ask me why, but I just like you. And I know you may hate me, but I think we got off on the wrong foot and I truly believe we could be friends. That is, if you're willing to give me a chance," Miley added and watched as Lilly faced the rising sun with a frown and drawn brows.

"Of course I'm not willing to Miley, but you're just going to keep on sniffing around like a hungry animal until I give you what you want, so really, I have no choice but to say yes." Miley grinned widely and was daring enough to lay an arm across Lilly's stiff shoulders.

"Thank you." There was a soft pressure on Lilly's skin as Miley squeezed Lilly's side into her body for a moment in an awkward embrace. It was gone in the next second, but it left Lilly baffled. She didn't understand why pushing Miley away made the brunette try that much harder to get closer and she couldn't overlook the joy she felt knowing there was someone willing to make the effort to befriend her. But why did it have to be someone as foolish as Miley Stewart?

"Whatever," Lilly muttered dismissively, filling the morning with her music once again.

* * *

The cry of the house phone roused Lilly from a deep sleep, creating violent mental images of slamming the device against a wall or throwing it out of the window. She smiled and scurried out of bed, leaving the absurd ideas involving her phone's destruction behind with the warmth her bed offered.

Lilly jogged down the stairs and down the hall towards the kitchen and snatched the cordless phone from its cradle, bringing it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey Lilly!" came Lilly's over excited greeting.

"Miley?"

"Yep! I'm glad you remember my voice." _It's hard not to. You don't shut up long enough for me to forget it,_ Lilly thought with a silent snicker.

"Uh huh. How'd you get this number?"

"Through the magic of a phone book," Miley replied with a giggle.

"Great. Why are you calling me?"

"Well, I um... wanted to know if you've had breakfast yet?"

"No, I only just woke up thanks to an obnoxious neighbour calling at such an early hour."

"It's ten."

"Exactly." A pause followed, but Miley broke it with a frustrated sigh.

"Look, will you come over here? I'm making bacon and eggs and there's a possibility I've made extra for whoever decides to keep me company today."

Lilly hung up without another word and raced for the front door, swinging it shut behind her and running down the stone footpath outside of her house. She glanced down the road to make sure no cars decided to materialise out of nowhere and cut her task short. She was welcomed with streets occupied with nothing but ghosts and bolted over to Miley's home. When Lilly landed on the porch, she nearly let herself in, but thought better of it and politely knocked first. Slow seconds were wasted before Miley finally opened the door with a pleased smile, which morphed into a chuckle.

"So, this is how you dress when you go over to someone's house? Shoeless and clad in nothing but ducky pyjamas?"

"No, this is how I dress when I'm so starving I don't have time to consider the humiliation," Lilly countered. "Can I please come in?" Miley happily stepped aside to let Lilly rocket past her.

Thankfully, the kitchen was straight across from the door so she didn't need to worry about getting lost on her search for food. Lilly seated herself on a stool at the island in the centre of the tiled kitchen and clasped her hands, a patient expression adorning her face as she stared at the steaming frying pan on the counter.

"Shit, if all it takes to get into your good graces is food, we would've been friends a long time ago," Miley said, aiming a stunned look at Lilly, who laughed in response.

"I'm a simple girl, Miley. If you feed me, I'm sold."

"Simple my ass. You're the most complex person I've ever met!"

"Is the food ready yet?" Lilly questioned, ignoring Miley's comment. She pouted when Miley shook her head after she glanced into the frying pan. "How come you can cook? I can't cook and we're around the same age."

"Well, I knew I'd have to learn how to make meals if I wanted to live by myself, so I asked to assist the chefs working at my dad's house back in LA," Miley explained, a hint of sadness in her tone.

"Rich parents, huh?"

"Parent," Miley corrected and Lilly's eyebrows rose.

"Did your mother pass away, or are you just a bastard child?" Lilly asked curiously.

"A bastard," Miley muttered, reaching into a cabinet to retrieve two plates.

"Me too."

* * *

**I know things are going slow, but that's what kind of fic this is. So let me know if that bothers you. It won't change anything, but you can still bitch, I guess.**


	6. Breakout

**I love you guys.**

**

* * *

**"You know Lilly, if you came to one of my parties, we could have a lot of fun together," Miley said casually, watching Lilly fixedly to gauge her reaction. The blonde in question froze, her fork retreating from Miley's plate, no longer on a mission to sneak off with some bacon slices.

"Why would you even recommend that? You know I hate your crowd of people," Lilly growled, glaring at her once beloved meal.

"Then why are you over here?"

"Food."

"And?" Miley drawled, certain there was more. There had to be. Lilly looked away, her lips twitching. "Come on, Lilly. Why are you here?"

"I just feel that I need to be. I don't really have a reason," she fibbed peevishly.

"Oh, okay..." Disappointed with her reply, Miley transferred the rest of her breakfast onto Lilly's plate and left the table. She ambled across the room to the couch and grabbed for a remote, switching the TV on as she sprawled herself on the length of the couch. Lilly scowled and then looked at Miley with a confused glower. She couldn't figure out what exactly conjured her sudden urge to reassure Miley with her other unspoken reason, but she stood up with an agitated sigh regardless. She walked over to Miley, leaning over the back of the couch, meeting the girl's gaze.

"I also kind of... like you," she admitted, albeit reluctantly. Nevertheless, Miley smiled brightly, sat up, and dragged Lilly into an uncomfortable hug.

"Ditto."

* * *

"Lilly!" Miley yelled heatedly, shooting up from the sand with her hands on her hips. "What's the big idea? You just stepped on my sandcastle!"

"Oh..." Lilly glanced down at her sand engulfed feet innocently. "That was a sandcastle? I thought you were just making a lump."

"You're dead," Miley snarled.

"Only if you can catch me," Lilly mocked, spinning on her heel and sprinting along the shoreline with a murderous Miley in tow. There wasn't much of a crowd, so she knew using people as obstacles was out of the question. Miley was hot on her tail, but she quickly headed out to the sea, wading through the water until she was able to swim. Her heart rate was flying as she heard splashing behind her and when she felt a firm grip snatch up her ankle, she twisted and freed her leg from Miley's hand.

The waves were getting harder to fight and Lilly was growing weary in the oceans violent clutch, but she needed to escape punishment. Though, there was no fear within her at the thought of being captured by Miley. She could feel the smile stretched across her face and she confessed to herself that she was having fun with the overdramatic brunette. She was so full of vivacity and borderline intelligence that Lilly couldn't help but feel a pull towards Miley's natural allure.

Lilly's mouth tasted like salt and her head was slipping under the water more often, which was a clear indication that she needed to take a break from the outrageously fast pace she was swimming at. She slowed down and scanned the water for Miley during her pause, finding her a few yards away, but she wasn't moving. Assuming she was also resting, Lilly halted her arms' movement and kept a watchful eye on Miley as she caught her breath.

There was something odd about Miley's position. She wasn't facing Lilly and she was allowing waves to swallow her entire head every so often like a corpse that had yet to sink. Considering it to be a trick of Miley's, Lilly silently paddled towards the brunette, not seeing any motion coming from the girl's limbs. Suddenly concerned, Lilly grabbed Miley's shoulder, but Miley remained face down in the ocean, floating in place.

In one panicked motion, Lilly pulled Miley's head back and covered her mouth with her hand, feeling no breath hitting her palm. Too scared to feel Miley's wrist for a heartbeat, she swum them back to shore despite her physical exhaustion.

There were no lifeguards in sight and Lilly wasn't about to go on a hunt for one, knowing it might just be too late, so she expertly pinched Miley's nose, tilted her head back, and dipped down to breathe life into her companion's chilled body. She withdrew and pressed her hands against Miley's chest, counting to herself as she pushed down rhythmically. Gaining no response after thirty compressions, Lilly exhaled into Miley's mouth again and returned to the chest compressions a moment later.

Terrified and close to tears, Lilly was ready to give up and call the ambulance, but a small cough emitted from Miley and she froze. Water flooded from Miley's parted lips and she continued to cough hoarsely, her face contorted in pain.

"Oh, my God," Lilly breathed in relief and softly sat Miley upright so she wouldn't swallow the water she was spewing out. She rubbed the girl's back and Miley gasped for air. "You're okay. You're okay," Lilly whispered repeatedly, the extremity of her happiness and shock mingling, causing her body to tremble lightly as she held Miley.

"Lil... what... what happened?" Miley asked, her voice scratchy from the dry salt still coating her throat.

"You tell me! I turn my back for one second and you go and drown!" Lilly shouted, but regretted her outburst instantly when Miley winced and looked away sadly.

"I... I don't remember. I just, I was chasing you and then the water got really hard to swim in and I tried to call you, but I was sucked under..."

"Miley..."

The sheen of Lilly's eyes painfully twisted tender areas inside of Miley and she quickly sought out a diversion. She observed the beach and noticed that not one person was near by. "D-did you rescue me?"

"Yeah. I wasn't just gonna let you die. You still have to prove yourself to me and I don't think you'd be able to do that at the bottom of the ocean." Lilly smiled grimly and her heart flipped in response to the utter admiration glinting in Miley's gaze combined with the neediness evident in the hug of gratitude she was encircled in.

"Thank you so much, Lilly. You saved my life and I don't think I'll ever be able to tell you how much it means to me that you cared enough to save it."

"Of course I cared Miley. Life isn't something you should throw away and yours has been endangered before this ordeal. What you do at the parties, the places you wake up in... Someday you're not going to wake up at all, you know. I saved you this time, but, as cliché as it sounds, I can't save you from yourself."

"You have been," Miley said quietly, still tangled around Lilly. "I don't know how, but you make me want to change my act. Will you stick around and help me, Lilly? Please?" She asked, the heartbeat beneath her ear reminding her of what she lacked only minutes ago.

"I will," she answered, wishing she could deny Miley's request. She didn't need the drama in her life again, she didn't need trouble leaving another whip lash on her back, but what she _did_ need was a friend. And Lilly couldn't think of anyone other than Miley who was so keen towards the prospect of friendship with a washed up skater.

"Thank you," Miley said again, drawing back. She kept her arms securely around Lilly's neck as she gazed into Lilly's unshielded blue eyes. They were glimmering uncharacteristically and Miley noted the wet trails running down her cheeks, but chose not to mention them. She smiled and Lilly returned it, taking Miley's breath away as quickly as she'd given it to her. Miley always believed Lilly to be a pretty person, but on closer inspection, and with the dazzling addition of her smile, Miley decided Lilly was not pretty, but beautiful.

* * *

**Something in this seems off. I'm sorry.**


	7. Let's Be Friends

**Dear Smiley756, I hope this is to your liking.**

* * *

Lilly knocked lightly on the glass front door, her inner demurs with herself proving to be worthless in the face of her strong need for clarity. She needed to do this. Her concern for her senseless neighbour had been bothering her even during sleep and she could no longer contain her worry even if it was impolite to turn up to someone's house uninvited.

The door opened and Lilly's sights were set upon a somewhat dishevelled Miley, rubbing one eye with the back of her hand, in the midst of a yawn. However, the second Miley saw who was at her house, she froze and her eyes widened. "Lilly! What a surprise to see you here out of your own free will!" Lilly's lips quirked faintly.

"I guess I was a tiny bit worried about you," Lilly understated. "How are you feeling?"

"Alive, thanks to you." Miley's features softened and Lilly shifted in place uneasily.

"So you're fine to take care of yourself?" she questioned.

"Well... I dunno... Do you have someone in mind who is willing to see to my every whim, Miss Truscott?" Miley asked slyly and Lilly sighed, raising her hand as a nomination. Miley grinned with excitement and stepped back, allowing Lilly to enter her cosy house.

"You know I can't cook, but I can help out with anything else if you want," Lilly informed, scanning the house for some kind of job she could take care of, but found Miley's home completely tidy and organised. Even Miley's messy appearance was flawless in some way. Lilly felt conspicuous in such a spotless domain, being the only unruly thing in sight. In her haste to get to Miley's house, she had forgotten to tie her shoelaces, brush her hair and was wearing a wrinkled shirt.

Miley however, was touched by Lilly's generosity and resisted the impulse to hug her new companion. She let a hand grip Lilly's shoulder instead and a look of pure need stole across her face. "There's only one thing I want you to do for me," she said.

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Take me to the circus."

* * *

A massive rainbow coloured tent sat in a field not far from town, caravans and curtained cages residing in any free space near its rear. Its pointed lid was lined with flashing lights bright enough to issue seizures to those even without the curse of epilepsy and Lilly focused solely on the ground as she trudged along next to Miley's almost skipping form. Her smile was more resplendent than the lights of the circus and her ecstatic words and actions made up for the fact that Lilly was terrified of the colourful figures entering the stern of the tent.

Miley's fingers interlaced with Lilly's and would occasionally squeeze her digits, demanding either her attention or a mere smile. Lilly was happy to oblige, but there was still a ghost of fear present with every glance at the red-nosed demons that were getting closer with every step they took.

Tickets were purchased and Miley couldn't restrain herself as she ran for the tent's open flap that permitted all patrons entry. Miley handed their tickets to the ringmaster once she'd bought herself and Lilly some cotton candy and they sank deeper into the warm tent that smelt of hay and fur. Lilly wanted to sit at the very back and Miley at the front, so they met halfway and sat in the middle of the five rising rows of seats surrounding the ring in the centre of the tent.

"You know, I've never been to the circus before," Miley said as she chewed on a piece of her cotton candy.

Lilly turned to her in surprise. "Seriously? You're rich. How could you not have been to a circus?"

"Daddy always said circuses were for the commoners, which, to be honest, is very hypercritical since we were originally farmers living in Tennessee," Miley muttered, frowning slightly until she saw a pony being led around the permitter of the ring by a clown. "Aww, look at the pony. It's so cute. It really makes me miss Blue Jeans."

"You're wearing blue jeans, Miley," Lilly stated, perplexed.

"No, silly!" Miley snickered. "My old horse, he was named Blue Jeans."

"Right..." Lilly focused back on the ring and realised the animals had been led off behind the curtains, meaning it was the clowns turn to take the spotlight and go about with their shenanigans. They did their best to involve the audience and the numerous times they yelled for a volunteer, Lilly's hand would grab Miley's of its own accord and she'd slide closer, seeking protection unknowingly.

After getting her shoulder bumped by Lilly for the fourth time, Miley sighed and threw her arm around the blonde, holding her still. The makeup covered face of the clown peered in their direction with a grin as he dumped a bucket of water on his unsuspecting partner and Lilly stiffened, pressing into Miley with wide eyes.

"I had no idea you'd be scared of clowns," Miley whispered, trying to cover up her amusement.

"Be quiet," Lilly snapped, sliding away from Miley with a huff, but another glimpse at the clowns had her flush against the brunette once more. Miley laughed gently at Lilly's behaviour and played with a few strands of the girl's hair that were brushing against her fingers. Her attention diverted back to the performance, but Lilly's was lost as she felt Miley's unconscious strokes through her locks. And through this touch, Lilly realised her position. Her first thought was to move out from under Miley's arm. Her second thought was to make Miley remove the limb herself and her third thought was to throw something at the clowns that were to blame for her current placement.

Lilly felt uncomfortable and her back was achingly rigid from all of her muscles tensing in fear, so she started to roll her head slowly to the side in an attempt to loosen her tendons, but she connected with Miley's shoulder. She went to retreat, but Miley's hand slid from her hair and down to her upper arm, holding her securely in place. Unnerved by the prolonged physical contact with the girl she'd once held strong disdain for, Lilly inched to the left, trying to escape. Miley shifted in her seat and her hair ghosting against Lilly's forehead, causing the blonde to smile in spite of herself.

Among the smell of animals and fried foods, Lilly could smell the expensive shampoo Miley doused her hair with and the soft essence of Miley herself, which miraculously had a calming effect on Lilly as she inhaled. Miley ran her hand up and down Lilly's arm once and she finally settled against Miley's shoulder and body, somehow feeling safer despite the ominous performers still running about the ring.

* * *

"Thanks for coming with me, Lilly. I don't think any of my other friends would've agreed to such a childish thing," Miley said as she and Lilly stood on her porch, bidding their farewells.

"I had fun... most of the time."

"Oh yeah, those happy clowns sure were menacing little fellas."

"Screw you," Lilly mumbled, turning to leave, but Miley halted her.

"Wait..." Miley instructed with some uncertainty.

"What?"

"Can I have a goodbye hug?"

One glance at Miley's face told Lilly it was extremely stupid to fall for such a beautifully deceiving facade, but the radiating innocence from Miley threw Lilly harshly off balance. Miley tempted her closer by raising her arms. And with that pleading movement, Lilly forgot all about Miley's vile misconducts and wrapped her arms around the brunette in a warm embrace. Miley beamed widely and returned the hug, enjoying the softness of Lilly's body melding with hers. Gentle, empowering, gratifying. Just right.

"Goodnight Miley," Lilly said as she withdrew, hesitating in Miley's arms momentarily as she met the girl's eyes. They twinkled in the night, rivalling the stars in a way that awed Lilly to the point of breathlessness. Foreign thoughts crept from the corners of her mind and Lilly sent them back from whence they came as she left Miley's warmth completely. With one last glance at her beautiful neighbour, Lilly walked off the porch, across the street and vanished into the confines of her house.

Miley remained where she was left, peering unseeingly into the still blackness, unsure of what had just happened with Lilly. And then she realised with a start that her heart wouldn't stop racing.

* * *

**Review plz k thanx. (Lol, that is such a fun thing to say, no matter how illiterate it is.)**


	8. Murder

**Hi.**

* * *

A sharp knock drew Miley from beneath the safety of her bedcovers. She glared at the clock on her nightstand, reading 8am, and slowly removed the covers to make the trip to her front door so she could kindly tell whoever was on the other side to get the hell off of her property. She'd been up late the night before, trapped on the phone with a 'friend' she'd wished would disappear from her life. Ever since meeting her, Miley knew their association would be finite, but Joannie Palumbo thought otherwise.

Miley roughly pulled the front door open and disengaged from her troublesome thoughts instantly.

"Good morning, Miley," greeted Lilly, somewhat brightly. Miley's gaze fell to the small cage Lilly held in her arms. A tiny brown and white hamster was nestled on a small patch of fabric acting as a bed, trembling slightly in fear from the sudden change of environment. "This is Nibbles. I'd like you to look after him while I go out on a week long journey with my mother. She seems to think it would be a good idea to bond. It's stupid and honestly a waste of my time, but I'd appreciate it if you could babysit for me."

Miley was stunned, not expecting Lilly to venture over with such a request. Miley still hadn't become accustomed to Lilly's spontaneous actions and constantly shifting attitude. She was so free, yet withdrawn.

"Sure thing, Lilly. I'd be happy to look after the little guy for you," Miley said pleasantly, bending down to the cage and poking her finger through one of the gaps.

"You better watch out. He's called Nibbles for a reason," Lilly warned with a slight smile as the hamster wandered over to Miley's digit, but the brunette quickly retracted her hand. Lilly lowered the cage to the wooden planks of Miley's porch, then pulled a small package from her pocket and placed it on the top of the metal enclosure. "That ought to last him the week. Thanks a lot, Miley, I owe you one."

It happened so fast that Miley almost thought she'd just experienced a moment of delusion, but as Lilly turned away and left her premises, Miley confirmed that Lilly had definitely just hugged her goodbye. Without being asked. Miley's lips stretched into a curve of elation and she clasped the handle of the cage and pulled Nibbles inside with an intense desire to prove to Lilly that she was capable of being responsible.

* * *

Miley stared darkly at her ringing cell phone. The name of the caller flashed and her fingers itched. She was losing it. Lilly was gone. Her resistance was weakening. The phone vibrated and Miley picked it up, preparing to answer. Nibbles' wheel creaked lightly and the phone was tossed to the floor, unanswered.

"I can't take this for much longer," Miley said to herself, biting her nails anxiously. She craved company. Lilly's company. The blonde made her feel content in a way Miley hadn't felt in a long time and without the deep eyes of Lilly she would so often meet when she'd throw a casual glance at her neighbour, she would go insane.

Her phone buzzed once more and Miley surrendered.

"What do you want?" she snapped as a greeting.

"It's not what I want, it's what _you_ want," came her smooth reply. Miley's eyes narrowed.

"Do tell."

"Well, I haven't seen you in a couple weeks. You haven't joined me during my outings and you haven't invited me to any of your parties, if you've had any recent ones. How am I supposed to spend time with my best friend if she hides away in her big empty house?" Joannie inquired, but there was no caring tone to her voice.

"You tell me." Miley was beyond reasonable thinking. She was isolated, locked up. She desired freedom and other human beings, no matter their status.

"Are you free tomorrow night?"

"I am."

"Party at your place, say around... seven?"

"Okay, I'll see you then." Joannie's response was cut short as Miley hung up, overcome by misery and remorse. She couldn't begin to imagine what Lilly would say if she found out about this.

* * *

Miley traversed the room, becoming the meal of flocking imbeciles, each drunk, each grinding, all lost. They grinned foolishly and she frowned in return, not understanding why the feel of nothingness was absent. She drowned herself in alcohol, slowed her brains function, avoided the corners of her mind, but the disappointment remained. She knew Joannie was watching her tonight, observing her like a hawk would its prey, or maybe a vulture would a carcass. She was waiting, waiting for the ideal moment where she would swoop in and pick at what was left until it wasn't. Joannie was a scavenger.

"Great party, Miley," she remarked happily, her eyes glinting with a promise of trouble. Trouble that Miley once welcomed, though did no longer.

"I wish it would just end."

"It's only just begun!" Joannie said in disbelief, not prepared for Miley's sudden change of character. This wasn't the careless Miley she once knew, once owned.

"Not the party." _Our friendship._

Joannie replied, but Miley feigned deafness due to the music and sunk into the crowd.

She ascended the stairs with a sorrow creeping behind her, ready to launch straight at her heart, and she entered her room. Miley eyed the figure at her dresser, low chuckles coming from it every so often. Miley stepped closer and found an unknown boy of about eighteen fingering a motionless hamster through the gaps of the cage. Miley's eyes widened.

"What the fuck did you do?" she cried. The boy swung to face her.

"Little fucker bit me, so I gave him a taste of the good stuff," he informed as he waved a small baggie around, a white powder shifting within.

"Get the hell out of my room," Miley ordered and the stoned boy stumbled out, muttering profanities as he passed her.

Miley rushed to the cage and retrieved Nibbles, refusing to accept his death as she cradled him. Her drunken thoughts sobered slightly and tears bit at the edges of her eyes as she concluded the hamster's demise. Lilly would be devastated and may lapse back to the time when she loathed Miley's existence and realising this, Miley panicked. She was so close to fully gaining Lilly's trust and friendship, so close to grasping happiness, that Miley didn't have a doubt in her mind that they would have been inseparable by the end of the week, but it all vanished from the tips of her fingers because of one mistake. A miniscule thing with the hidden promise of titanic ramifications.

With a righteousness burning in her soul, Miley placed Nibbles gently back into his cage, as if he was still capable of feeling, and she stormed from her room and down the stairs, switching off her freshly repaired stereo and earning the questioning stares of her guests.

"It would be in your best interest if you left. Someone told the cops that there are minors here drinking, so you better go. _Now_." All occupants stiffened and some dropped their cups, fear suddenly biting into their limbs, halting them. In the fraction of a dying heartbeat, everyone dove for the nearest exit, eager to elude a malicious punishment from the authorities.

The lie was believed and Miley smiled, satisfied. But then she remembered Nibbles. He was dead. Once certain that everyone was gone, Miley went to her room to further assess the damage, but couldn't bear to look for longer than a second. She sought comfort in sleep and turned out the light and slid into bed, too exhausted to care that she was still wearing her shoes and rumpled clothes. She checked her cell and found two unread text messages. One was from Joannie, the other was from... Lilly. They had exchanged numbers a few days ago and Miley wasn't sure whether she regretted it or not. She opened Joannie's first.

_Next time will be better x_

Then Lilly's.

_I kinda miss you..._

_

* * *

_**Bye**_.  
_


	9. Return

**I have every intention to update all of my Liley fics before Christmas**. **Have faith in me!**

* * *

The night sky, a mess of glitter spread on a canvas of black, cast a dark shadow over all beneath it. It accepted another soul into its depths and then it watched, seeming to shed an infuriating light on the small patch of unearthed ground in Miley's backyard. Every glance she threw at the sliding door brought the burial place into her sight and she wished she'd buried Nibbles in a more discreet area, but even then the creature would mock her. Mock her with her own irresponsibility.

She paced. Waiting. Knowing. Thinking. Miley knew Lilly was coming home that night and she went over countless excuses and apologies, but each one still resulted in her being careless. Everything she'd set out to prove to Lilly had been in vain because she let the party happen and didn't realise just how horrible the people who turned up were. Yes, they had money and a well-known name, but that, in no way, meant they were good people. Now, not many people knew Lilly, but, to Miley, she definitely had the kindest heart of all. Lilly was the only person worth knowing.

The soft patter of rain sounded overhead and Miley sunk into one of her leather armchairs, overcome with dread. The urge to cry was increasing as 7pm closed in, when Lilly would arrive home. Upon discovering Miley's failure to watch over Nibbles, perhaps Lilly would beg her mother to move away to a place Miley couldn't reach. She would be left alone and old habits would take wing, leading to Miley's definite destruction. Lilly truly had no idea how much Miley depended on her. It almost ached.

Miley closed her eyes as she listened to the rain and the small rumbles of thunder. They were only light noises, so when a small knock startled her, she knew the thunder wouldn't cover it and give her an excuse to ignore who was on the other side of the door.

She rose wistfully to her feet and trudged towards the door. Her fingers paused on the cold handle with an immense fear clinging to her mind. Her heart was racing with a powerful anxiety and she silently begged that mercy would be exerted on the undeserving just this once. She would make endless promises never to be such a fool again, but she knew Lilly wouldn't believe her. Not after this.

Sighing, Miley opened the door.

Lilly's face brightened the instant she saw Miley. The porch light created a faint glow on Lilly's features and Miley absorbed the image before her, awestruck by the unexpected radiance of the girl she hadn't seen in a week. The rain had left miniscule droplets in Lilly's hair and eyelashes that sparkled under the light, but what was even more captivating was the genuine smile on Lilly's lips. Her white teeth gleamed and her blue- so wonderfully blue- eyes had adopted a startling intensity. They removed all worrisome thoughts from Miley's head and the two girls flew into each other's arms, as if they'd been separated for a lifetime.

Miley craved to be held together, even if it was by the very person that was causing her to fall apart. She needed to know that Lilly trusted her enough to believe that she had learnt from her mistake, but the fright was greater than anything else. Maybe Lilly would dismiss all apologies and fall into an isolation that Miley would never penetrate. And, if that were to happen, then who would care? Who would care about Miley?

"It's good to see you," she said softly and Miley inwardly cringed. Of course, Lilly had to be happy. Of course, Miley would have to be the one to ruin it.

"Come inside." Lilly raised an eyebrow at Miley's response and stepped over the threshold into the darkness of Miley's house. The only source of light came from a small lamp by the sofa and Lilly glanced at the usually spotless house with surprise, finding articles of clothing littering the floor and unwashed dishes lingering in the sink. She sensed Miley's disturbance straight away.

"What's the matter?" she asked, touching Miley's arm briefly, who jolted at the feel of Lilly's warm fingertips on her chilled skin. Lilly lowered her hand with a frown.

"There's... There's something I have to tell you...and you might just hate me for it," Miley said, focusing on her bare feet, noting the chipping of her nail polish as she took a deep breath in preparation. It would be best if she told Lilly at that moment. She wouldn't be able to hold in the truth because she knew she was unworthy of Lilly's smiles and kind words. Miley had been at war with herself the night prior, wanting to call Lilly so she could confess everything, but she waited until they were face to face; it meant more suffering. Miley was worthy of suffering.

"Tell me," Lilly coaxed eagerly.

Miley met Lilly's concerned gaze and looked away, ashamed. "I was so lonely, Lilly. I couldn't take it. I invited some people over and had a few drinks."

"Well...I'm sure it was an improvement to the insanity that you were a part of when you first moved here. I'm only a little disappointed." Lilly's voice wasn't harsh and it only made things harder for Miley as she came close to defeat.

"That's not the worst of it, Lilly."

"Then what is?"

"I forgot to lock my door... Some guy got into my room and I went in to get away from everyone and found him there, by Nibbles' cage. I told him to get out, but I was too late...I'm sorry."

"Miley...? Do you mean...?" Lilly's eyes widened and Miley took her hand and led her to the glass door that displayed the backyard. She pointed to the grave.

"Nibbles is dead."

Miley's eyes slammed shut as she waited for Lilly to scream at her, to tell her she was a reckless monster that should never be trusted. She waited to be abandoned, to be written off as invisible. She waited to become a nameless ghost who was always there, but never acknowledged. Perhaps she was destined to live a friendless life, to be tested on how long she could go on for while being haunted by a constant solitude.

Miley felt the tears come all too quickly. Too soon to fight back. They weren't just for Lilly's lost hamster, but also her retched life and moronic choices. She knew what it felt like to have a real friend with more on their mind than just sex and alcohol. She enjoyed the sensations of bonding silences and proper embraces. She enjoyed feeling somewhat accomplished knowing that she actually had to put in a lot of effort to become part of Lilly's life and even though there were times where she realised she didn't know enough about Lilly, she still believed what they had could be everlasting. There was something about Lilly that most certainly drew Miley in. And now, it would all be taken from her.

Miley sniffled and opened her eyes, refusing to look at Lilly, who was standing quietly beside her still. She slipped to her knees and covered her face with her hands. Her thanks to the girl who had saved her life, who had joined her on pointless outings, was to kill something dear to her. Miley was an idiot.

But then, to the brunette's amazement, she felt her hands being pulled from her face and she found Lilly kneeling in front of her. Her eyes shone and she reached out and gently wiped away Miley's tears, smiling sadly.

"It's not your fault, Miley," she assured and Miley let out a relieved sob as she flung herself at Lilly, winding her arms desperately around the blonde with a consuming sense of gratitude.

* * *

**Well?**


	10. Making Up

**Guys, I'm at my friends house using his laptop so I can post my new chapters. My net is gone for awhile, so I hope you can excuse my absence. **

**This is dedicated to my dear friend itmeansnothing. You know what it's for, man!**

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After that emotional night, Miley had developed an even greater respect for Lilly. The once cold girl seemed to have warmed up to Miley and, even though she didn't blame Miley for what happened, she was still gravely disappointed that her friend had the party in the first place. Her light-hearted response when Miley first told her was only lacking in judgement because Lilly was just so happy to see the brunette again that she didn't take in Miley's confession until after she discovered Nibbles' death.

In turn, Lilly requested space so that she may grieve appropriately and Miley of course obeyed her eccentric neighbour.

It was now Miley's third day alone and she realised she wanted to violate Lilly's rules and pay a visit to the girl, even knowing she would most likely be cast away. Yes, she had made a huge mistake, but forgiveness was bound to be distributed eventually, so why not sooner than later? Why wouldn't Lilly allow Miley into her company?

With this reasoning in mind, Miley ventured from her home and onto her porch, contemplating her next move as she laid her eyes on Lilly's house. She took a seat on the top step of her porch as she mulled over the outcomes that would take place if she crossed the road and knocked on the blonde's door. But, then, wouldn't a phone call be a better idea? There would be no saddened countenance, only a stiff tone that would be slightly clipped and frank. That was Lilly. Frank. Mildly sarcastic. Serious. Occasionally playful. Adorable. Just, Lilly.

Miley battled over her options and stood, ready to take the plunge, but as soon as she was upright, she collapsed back onto the step, her nerve lost. She just didn't know what to say, what to do. Lilly was firm with her decisions and doing something without her consent was always a bad idea.

But Miley missed her so much.

However, as Miley was about to continue honouring Lilly's request, the door to the house across the street opened and Lilly stepped outside.

She looked in Miley's direction, but made no indication of acknowledgment as she fell onto her porch swing, guitar poised on her knee.

She began to play.

Miley remained where she was for the duration of Lilly's song, waiting for an invitation to join the blonde's side. Minutes passed as Miley listened to Lilly's music, feeling serene, but also very anxious. The strums were gentle, but Miley searched for a signal of permission. Eventually, a smile aimed at her brought Miley to her feet and she edged her way over to Lilly's house, uncertainty shadowing her strides. She wasn't sure if this was the end of their time away from each other, or if Lilly was just presenting a temporary pause in the segregation.

When Miley was on Lilly's porch, the blonde stopped strumming and placed her guitar next to her on the swing. She met Miley's eyes.

"Hey," she greeted evenly.

"Hi." Miley was timid, losing any courage she thought she'd possessed and she clasped her hands together behind her back, rocking lightly from heel to toe.

Lilly rose to her feet and folded Miley into her arms.

Delighted by the sudden contact, Miley urgently held Lilly closer, thankful for her neighbour's ease. She hadn't moved robotically like so many times before. She sprung at Miley as if she'd needed to be embraced, as if it had become something she enjoyed and missed.

"Will you stay over for the day?" Lilly asked, withdrawing.

"I don't know where else I'd want to be," Miley returned, joining Lilly on the swing as her friend started to fill the afternoon with music again.

"Hey, Lilly..." Miley interrupted before Lilly fell into a trance, lost in her strumming.

"Yes?"

"What made you choose to play outside today?"

A pause was Miley's only answer. Lilly visibly struggled to produce words, her lower lip drawn between her teeth. Miley waited in shock, not used to Lilly ever having trouble with a response. And, it only became more astonishing when Lilly finally spoke. "Well...I kind of... wanted you to hear so you'd come out of your house. You saved me half the trouble, but I didn't know how to approach you, so, I thought this was the best way to bring you to me," Lilly said, a shyness overtaking her as she struck the same chord on her guitar repeatedly.

Miley was awestruck and acted without consideration. She leant over and pressed her lips against Lilly's cheek. The blonde's plucking halted and her face reddened.

"You are so cute, Lilly."

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"So, Miss Truscott, I would like to know something," Miley informed as she lay on Lilly's bed, relaxing into the covers as if she'd been doing so for years.

"And what would that be, Miss Stewart?"

Miley turned and faced Lilly, who was sitting on the floor reading a magazine.

"Why do you hate parties so much?"

Lilly stopped leafing through the glossy pages and froze. Her reasons were never fully explained to Miley and it was natural that the brunette was curious, but it was obvious Lilly had some reluctance whenever it came to sharing her secrets.

"I just want to understand," Miley continued, peeling herself from Lilly's warm bed so she could join the blonde's side.

"I don't know if I can tell you."

"Please, Lilly."

"It's hard to talk about..."

"Take your time." Lilly met Miley's eyes then, knowing she could trust her despite the betrayal. She knew this because Miley was honest and regretful, but the question was, why? Why did Miley do reckless things if she regretted them afterwards?

"I'll tell you on one condition," Lilly wagered.

"Shoot."

"I'll tell you why I hate parties if you tell me why you have them." Miley faltered then, contemplating the proposition silently. It was surely a fair trade. Secret for secret. Miley knew she could rely on Lilly to listen without judging her, but she'd never discussed this personal matter with anyone before. Would Lilly really understand or would she mock Miley? The brunette would have to find out.

"Deal."

Lilly gestured to the trashcan by her bed, still overflowing with paper and a small platform that was lodged in the middle. Miley dragged it over and Lilly fished out the platform, revealing a framed photo with cracked glass that obscured the image it held. Lilly flipped the frame over and wrenched the photo out.

Two crumpled smiles met Miley's eyes as she gazed at the image. There was a younger Lilly smiling at the camera with her arm wrapped around a boy. His brown eyes and long nose were familiar, but Miley couldn't remember where she had seen him before.

"Who's that?" she asked.

"That's Oliver. He was my best friend," Lilly replied, sighing wistfully as nostalgia threatened to overtake her.

"What happened?"

"He got a girlfriend and she fucked up his life," Lilly growled, snatching the photo from Miley's hand and tearing it in two, throwing the half with Oliver on it back into the trash crossly. The other half went unnoticed as Lilly hugged her knees to her chest. Miley slid closer, tracing her fingers across Lilly's back until she held the girl in a semi embrace, waiting for her to proceed.

"He got drunk, took drugs, all because she wanted him to 'have fun'. It was destroying him, changing him. I was losing my best friend and when he finally noticed that I still existed, he asked me to join in with him. The parties, the fucking idiots that go to them, they all just remind me that Oliver gave up a decent life to ruin it with a stupid bitch he liked fucking. He may as well be dead."

Miley sat very still as she absorbed Lilly's past woes. She never even realised the depth of Lilly's contempt. She thought she was merely annoyed by the noise and the vandalism. It made perfect sense that she was so cold towards careless people and Miley shrunk away, knowing that this deeply wounded girl would surely disown her if she found out the petty truth behind Miley's parties. But she had made a deal. And lying to Lilly was something Miley would never do.

"Your turn," Lilly weakly prompted, wiping at her eyes.

"Please don't hate me after I tell you..."

Lilly smiled ruefully and slipped an arm around Miley's waist, nestling into the girl's shoulder as she said, "Miley, I don't think I could ever hate you." The warmth of Lilly's affection empowered Miley and she smiled in spite of her dread.

"Well, I have an older brother named Jackson," she begun, adjusting her position so that Lilly sat more comfortably against her. "He is the perfect son. He owns multiple companies and Daddy boasts about him with every opportunity he gets. Not one word is spoken about me. You see, Jackson's mother was a beautiful woman, but she died in a car accident when he was six. Daddy must have been desperate because he doesn't even know my mother's name." Miley stopped for a moment, her body tensing as her anger flared. "I'm just the bastard child, daughter of a whore. I was kept a secret for a long time and Daddy was always ashamed of me. He never talked about me, never encouraged me to be somebody. It was always Jackson this, Jackson that."

"So ,these parties are a cry for attention?" Lilly questioned quietly.

"In a way, yes, but really... they just make me forget that I am a complete accident, that I have no potential in life. I wanted to follow in Daddy's footsteps and create my own music that people would love, but he never listened to me. He just gave me money and told me to get out of his face. I only want him to tell me once that he's proud of me, but he can hardly look at me. I just thought that if I got so fucked up, he'd care, but now I realise how foolish I was." Miley's voice trembled and Lilly sat up and pulled Miley onto her lap, cradling the taller girl softly. Miley was unprepared for this, but buried her face in Lilly's shirt regardless.

"I'm sorry I'm so messed up," she whimpered, trying not to let herself succumb to the pain of her neglect. She didn't want Lilly to see her cry, but the light caresses teasing her curls soothed her enough to weaken her resolve and she uncontrollably dotted Lilly's collar with her tears.

"You're not messed up, Miley. You just chose a dangerous path to take. Now I know that you're an intelligent person and I know that if you tried, you could do anything you wanted. I mean, look at you, you're beautiful and even with such deprivation of love in your life, you grew up to be such a bright and happy girl," Lilly said, hoping she was helping in some way. She never admitted to Miley that all her efforts were greatly appreciated and that she really didn't want to lose the brunette now that they'd become such good friends.

"It's only because of you," Miley mumbled into Lilly's neck. Lilly became puzzled.

"What?"

"You make me happy, Lilly. The person I am with you, that's me. That's who I am and always want to be. I want to be real, I don't want fake friends who can't see past my money. I want you. As my friend, as my best friend, forever," Miley whispered and Lilly's chest was feeling strange and light, as if the powerful emotions Miley ignited within her were congregating beneath her ribs.

"I promise I will be. I'll be the best friend ever," Lilly pledged, curling herself tightly around Miley.

A faint laugh penetrated the embrace. Lilly decreased the strength of her grip as Miley drew back enough to meet her eyes. She was smiling. Genuinely happy.

"Do...Do you really think I'm beautiful?" Miley asked somewhat bashfully. Lilly blushed.

"Uh... Yeah, I do," she admitted, watching Miley's still glistening eyes. Lilly slowly reached out and brushed away Miley's tears.

They stared at one another, a breath apart. Miley didn't know what she'd do without Lilly there, keeping her feet on the ground and stopping her from falling from existence. Lilly was her anchor, her protector. Lilly saved her life and continued to do so. Miley could find no way to thank Lilly for everything, to express her array of consuming feelings that clutched her insides and made her short of breath. Nothing.

But there was one thing that Miley's mind decided was appropriate for this moment. One thing that she could use to show this creature with shining blue eyes just how deep her feelings ran. Her blood and bones were made up of this feeling and it trickled into the most unchartered areas of Miley's body and heart that it almost pained her not to close the distance that kept her from Lilly.

Miley slid her arms around Lilly's neck and dipped her head until their lips connected.

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**Bbl.**


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